EN25(1) Status of Reservoir Archaeology Management Plans

Print This Page

The operations of BC Hydro reservoirs may be impacting archaeological sites that are protected by the B.C. Heritage Conservation Act. Provincial regulators and various First Nations have expressed concerns over impacts to archaeological resources in reservoir drawdown zones. The presence or absence, location, and degree of our impacts to these sites is not fully understood at this time. BC Hydro has developed a database of previously surveyed areas, locations of registered archaeological sites in reservoirs, and defined the zone of potential impact associated with reservoirs. This information was considered in the development and approval of a strategy and business case to address the risks associated with the Heritage Conservation Act.

Implementation of a Reservoir Archaeology Program for 26 generation reservoir facilities is now underway in accordance with the Heritage Conservation Act and a newly drafted Memorandum of Understanding with the Archaeology Branch of the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts. Program implementation and the ongoing engagement of affected First Nations will continue throughout fiscal 2009.